


A 'Lil Help

by ThatDorkyFicBabey



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Big Brother Clint Barton, Brother Feels, CGLRE, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Little Bucky, Male Friendship, Non Sexual Age Regression, Platonic love confessions, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, agere, baby bucky, caregiver tony stark, kiddo clint, little brother bucky, little clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:22:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDorkyFicBabey/pseuds/ThatDorkyFicBabey
Summary: Clint likes to help take care of his ‘lil brother, Bucky. But sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	A 'Lil Help

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda got on a hardcore WinterHawk vibe the other day and it just went splat on to the page. I hope you like it :)
> 
> I try to make my fics as customisable as I can so:
> 
> [CG pet name] = insert your own favourite title/a title you feel safe with.
> 
> I don't always explicitly use pet names for the kiddos either but since it's not a self insert, I ran with them this time.

Clint loved being a big brother. 

He had the perfect talents to help his [CG pet name] out, too. 

He could sit in the perch that Tony had built for him and keep an eye on Bucky while he tried to navigate the sea of toys that filled the floor when he played. Bucky was clumsy when he was smol and he didn’t always look where he was going. The way the feet of his too-big onesie flapped around while he toddled from one place to another didn’t make things any easier. A “firetruck on your ten, buddy!” was usually enough to make him pause and set him right, though. Then Bucky always looked up at him with a big, paci obscured smile and a ”tanks, bee-buh-buh”. 

Hearing Bucky call him big brother (or as close as a baby could get) made Clint very happy. So did seeing Bucky copy him by shooting imaginary bows and arrows when they played together. He also followed Clint around a lot because he wanted to be involved in whatever “bee-buh-buh” was doing. There was no way that Tony could get him down for his nap unless Clint promised to have a nap too so that he didn’t miss any fun. 

Especially fun like their favourite game.

Clint would sit high on his perch firing arrows (he was only allowed the sticky ones when he was smol) down at the floor. Every one would stick a couple of inches from where Bucky was dancing with anticipation. A burst of squeals and giggles would erupt from Bucky as he “ran away”, sticking his tongue out at Clint with every one of his big brother’s feigned sighs of exasperation. 

‘Oh no!’

‘He’s too fast!’

‘I’m gonna getcha, buddy!’ 

They would play and play until Clint ran out of arrows. Then it was Bucky's turn. He would run around picking them up while Clint made a big song and dance of getting down from his perch. Bucky would run away with as many as he had managed to grab, hiding them all over the compound for Clint to find later which, was a whole other game in itself. 

It never got old. 

And today was no different. 

Tony had left the room for a couple of minutes while he folded the freshly done laundry (Bucky was also clumsy when it came to spills and Clint’s overalls tended to come off worse for it). Clint was shooting, Bucky was running and the best fun was most certainly being had. 

Clint lined up his latest shot and it landed with a sticky thunk beside the sofa. His next arrow was already nocked in his bow before Bucky’s reactions caught up enough to squeal. The smallest brother danced on the spot for a moment, his baby brain trying to catch up to which way he wanted to run next. However, Clint had been studying Bucky’s moves with his hawkish little eyes. Whenever Clint put an arrow right there by the sofa, Bucky ran left. 

Always. 

Setting his sights on a spot just below Bucky’s usual run away route, he let the arrow fly.

Only this time, Bucky didn’t follow his pattern.

Instead of running straight left, he ran diagonally left and right into the path of Clint’s arrow!

Thunk!  
Bucky stopped dead in his tracks and froze, going adorably cross eyed as he looked up at the arrow stuck to his forehead. 

Clint froze as well. His own heartbeat banged in his chest as the deafening silence rang out for a little too long.

Oh no. 

‘[CG pet name]!’ Clint managed to call out just before Bucky started wailing. Sure, running away from things may be his favourite game but he got scared if anything actually hit him.

And Clint never missed his shot like this.

Clint was down in record time. Pulling the arrow off Bucky’s forehead, he carefully moved his hair out of his face and rubbed the skin there.

‘I’m sorry, buddy,’ he said, ‘I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry!’

Tony was barely a split second behind, his voice soft and gentle as he consoled his baby. 

‘Awe, baby boy. It’s okay! What happened?’

‘It was my fault, [CG pet name],’ Clint explained, feeling like he was close to crying himself, ‘I thought he was going to run left...he always runs left...but he didn’t this time and...and...one of my arrows got him in the head...I’m sorry.’ 

Tony’s face softened as he took in the circle imprint on Bucky’s forehead and one worried little Clint. 

‘Come here, fellas,’ he said, picking Bucky up and balancing him on his hip before holding his hand out to Clint. 

Clint took it and let Tony lead him over to sit beside him on the sofa. One arm curled tightly around Clint while the other rocked Bucky gently in his lap. ‘There we go,’ he said in his calming voice - mostly for Clint’s benefit - as Bucky began to settle, ‘not hurt are you, champ? Just surprised you a little, huh?’

Bucky’s paci fell out of his mouth as he tried to talk around it but Clint caught it and put it back in again, holding it in place as Bucky sniffled:

‘Tanks, bee-bur-bur.’

Now, it was Clint’s tears that wouldn’t be held back and they came hotter and faster as Tony squeezed him into his chest. 

‘Hey, what’s the matter, honey? Can you use your words for [CG pet name]?’

‘I made him scared,’ Clint sobbed, ‘I’m a bad big brother.’

Tony sighed and gave Clint a string of big kisses on his forehead. 

‘Remember when we first talked about me being your [CG pet name]?’

Clint nodded. ‘And I was scared?’

He nodded again. ‘You remember what I was scared of?’

‘Being a bad [CG pet name],’ Clint replied. 

‘I was. I was worried that if I made a mistake or things didn’t go to plan or, if either one of you got upset then I wouldn’t be the [CG pet name] you deserve. I had a lot to learn and those first few times, I was so nervous. I felt like I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I bought the wrong sized paci, I put Bucky’s black t-shirts in with your white sweater, I left Steve-bear on top of the car and didn’t realise until you guys started freaking out. I was all over the place! But you know what helped me through it?’

‘What?’

‘You did. You were such a good boy, always keeping an eye on Bucky and helping me out while I found my feet. You were amazing and I’m so grateful,’ Tony said, ‘but you’re not responsible for your brother. I am. You’re just a little boy. You don’t need to be worrying about things that it’s [CG pet name]’s job to take care of, okay?’ 

‘But Bucky got scared,’ Clint insisted, ‘and it was my...I should’ve known...’ 

‘Honey, Bucky doesn’t know what he’s gonna do next half the time. So, how are you supposed to know, huh?’

Clint thought about that for a moment. In a lot of ways Bucky was a law unto himself, it was part of why they had so much fun together. ‘You’re an awesome big brother and Bucky loves you.’

Feeling a soft pat on his arm, Clint looked up to find his half asleep baby brother reaching out to him. Clint reached back, snuggling closer to him across Tony’s lap. ‘Sometimes accidents happen. It’s not your fault, okay? I’m a grown up and they still happen to me. Does that make me a bad [CG pet name]? 

‘No way, you’re the bestest [CG pet name]!’ Clint argued.

‘Then it can’t make you a bad big brother, can it?’

‘I guess not,’ Clint answered, starting to feel better. 

Tony looked down at the pair of them, a drowsy looking Clint snuggled into his chest and Bucky, nearly asleep on his shoulder. He took a moment to dry their damp cheeks with a tissue before giving an adoring little hum. 

‘It looks like you could do with a nap, am I right?’ 

Bucky grabbed tighter onto Clint’s sleeve at the mention of the n-word. 

‘Bee-buh-buh, too,’ Bucky mumbled, insistently.

‘Yeah, buddy, me too,’ Clint replied with a yawn.

In a couple of minutes flat Tony had them tucked up on the sofa under a cosy blanket. 

‘Steeber?’ Bucky grumbled without opening his eyes and Clint reached out for Steve-bear when Tony picked him up off of the floor. 

‘I like helping,’ Clint said, a little worried that after what Tony had said about him being a little boy that he wouldn’t be allowed to help anymore.

‘I know, champ,’ Tony replied, stroking Clint’s hair as he handed him the bear, ‘and that’s alright. Just don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?’

‘Okay.’ 

Clint placed Steve-bear against Bucky’s chest and wrapped his little brother’s arms snuggly around it. 

‘You fellas sleep well. I’ll come get you up when dinner’s ready,’ Tony said, giving them both a pat on the head and a kiss on the nose before leaving the room. 

Bucky wriggled around until he faced Clint, giving him a clumsy pat on the face and a little head bump in place of a kiss. 

‘Wuff ooo, bee-buh-buh,’ he babbled around his paci and fell immediately and completely asleep.

‘Love you, little brother,’ Clint replied, tucking them both in a little tighter before nodding off with a smile.


End file.
